Anyone eat Coconut Oil?

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  • JennieAL
    JennieAL Posts: 1,726 Member
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    It isn't magical.

    From what I understand, it's a source of Lauric acid (which is also found in breast milk). It's also a medium chain triglyceride... saturated fat, but it may help lower LDL (bad cholesterol).
  • jetabear10
    jetabear10 Posts: 375 Member
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    bump ditty bump bump
  • tigersword
    tigersword Posts: 8,059 Member
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    "eat"? no, like as in chewing?
    cook with, yes :)

    in just about everything. it has a very high heat point, unlike olive oil for example. I also use it in baking gluten and grain free breads or muffins.
    Coconut oil has a much lower smoke point than olive oil. At least, the healthy coconut oil does.
    Virgin coconut oil - 350
    Extra Virgin Olive Oil - 400
    Refined Coconut Oil - 450 <-- Higher, but the refined stuff is hydrogenated, essentially just vegetable oil.
  • IronmanPanda
    IronmanPanda Posts: 2,083 Member
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    Nope but I heard it makes great lube.
  • tigersword
    tigersword Posts: 8,059 Member
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    It isn't magical.

    From what I understand, it's a source of Lauric acid (which is also found in breast milk). It's also a medium chain triglyceride... saturated fat, but it may help lower LDL (bad cholesterol).
    Not quite. It doesn't lower LDL, it actually raises LDL. It just happens to raise HDL's higher, so it leads to a slightly more favorable ratio of HDL to LDL, but total cholesterol will go up.
  • Glucocorticoid
    Glucocorticoid Posts: 867 Member
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    MCTs have a minor protein-sparing effect, and coconut oil is 50% MCTs. So it could be marginally beneficial in a deficit. It's my part of my diet, at times.
  • April4th
    April4th Posts: 140 Member
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    I haven't done it in quite a while but I used to melt some and put teaspoon or so into a small glass of juice every morning. I should get back to it regularly as I do think it made me feel better. I do use it as a moisturizer and I also put it on cuts, scrapes, etc. I haven't tried it in my hair though.
  • neanderthin
    neanderthin Posts: 10,018 Member
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    It isn't magical.

    From what I understand, it's a source of Lauric acid (which is also found in breast milk). It's also a medium chain triglyceride... saturated fat, but it may help lower LDL (bad cholesterol).
    Not quite. It doesn't lower LDL, it actually raises LDL. It just happens to raise HDL's higher, so it leads to a slightly more favorable ratio of HDL to LDL, but total cholesterol will go up.
    Just to add. The reason saturated fats in general increase total cholesterol (hdl & ldl) is because it also influences the particles size of the lipoproteins (compartments that cholesterol are carried in) and makes them bigger, which are thought to be less atherogenic. Cholesterol is measured in weight, so while total cholesterol does go up, less total lipoproteins are present and bigger...basically not necessarily a bad thing.
  • JennieAL
    JennieAL Posts: 1,726 Member
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    It isn't magical.

    From what I understand, it's a source of Lauric acid (which is also found in breast milk). It's also a medium chain triglyceride... saturated fat, but it may help lower LDL (bad cholesterol).
    Not quite. It doesn't lower LDL, it actually raises LDL. It just happens to raise HDL's higher, so it leads to a slightly more favorable ratio of HDL to LDL, but total cholesterol will go up.
    Just to add. The reason saturated fats in general increase total cholesterol (hdl & ldl) is because it also influences the particles size of the lipoproteins (compartments that cholesterol are carried in) and makes them bigger, which are thought to be less atherogenic. Cholesterol is measured in weight, so while total cholesterol does go up, less total lipoproteins are present and bigger...basically not necessarily a bad thing.

    Yes, I was really getting at the fact it improves the overall ratio. Just got the LDL part backwards.
  • tomomatic
    tomomatic Posts: 1,794 Member
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    Isn't this the same substance that they used to cook movie theater popcorn with? The stuff that's so bad that every news outlet was attacking it and made all the movie theaters chains switch to a different oil?
  • DeeKay2169
    DeeKay2169 Posts: 72 Member
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    DITTO!!! I love me some coconut oil. I don't measure and I don't count towards cals. I also use it on my feet and hair. It's excellent! Make sure you get the unrefined and virgin. You can tell by the way it smells. If it’s not obviously a coconut smell don’t get it.
    If you actually mean coconut water, it's excellent for you and very tasty. But if you mean oil, as you said, it is not at all good for you.

    And here is the danger of internet nutritional advice. Luckily, it's pretty easy to spot those who have no idea what they are talking about and don't even bother to explain their opinion.
  • jgarf4me
    jgarf4me Posts: 33 Member
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    I just replaced three weeks ago all my butter and margerine with coconut oil. All the Nutritionists and friends who work in health related field is telling me its great stuff ...healthy fats. It took a little while to get used to scooping it out but the taste is really good and i love coconut. so now i have unsweetened coconut milk and coconut oil. i use the oil for cooking now all the time
  • tameejean
    tameejean Posts: 197 Member
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    Personally, I've used it for a few years now. I cook and saute with it, put in coffee, use it like butter, use it on my face and body as a moisturizer and also as a make up remover, on my hair. Great stuff and I have "rockstar" blood panel results...as my doctor puts it :) I eat coconut oil and 1/2-whole avocado daily, not only yummy, but super good for you.

    A little dated, but great article and spot on (with references) on the benefits of coconut oil and why vegetable (evoo, not included) are bad:

    http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-mercola/coconut-oil-benefits_b_821453.html
  • tigersword
    tigersword Posts: 8,059 Member
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    Eek, not to be negative about coconut oil, but Dr Mercola is not a good source to use. Incredibly biased agenda that Mercola has, that pretty much makes everything he says untrustworthy, kind of like Dr Oz now.
  • elysecea
    elysecea Posts: 161 Member
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    Try this link all of you might find this extremely helpful :)
    Ps I love coconut oil!! I give it to my dogs too!
    http://www.hybridrastamama.com/2012/01/160-uses-for-coconut-oil.html?m=1
  • femmi1120
    femmi1120 Posts: 473 Member
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    I just started using it recently. Because of the amount of cals, I prefer to use it for it's external uses, like using it to moisturize the tips of my hair and on my skin. I tried putting a tbsp in my bath too. It was amazing!

    As for eating it, I just use it to cook, but mostly for flavor. I like pan frying tilapia in a little bit of coconut oil and topping it off with curry! So tasty!!
  • StarvingDiva
    StarvingDiva Posts: 1,107 Member
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    I use coconut oil in my cooking, baking in my smoothies. It is fabulous with eggs and mixed in with hot coffee.
  • jlbay
    jlbay Posts: 473 Member
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    Isn't this the same substance that they used to cook movie theater popcorn with? The stuff that's so bad that every news outlet was attacking it and made all the movie theaters chains switch to a different oil?

    Wasn't it palm oil in the movie theater popcorn?
  • scagneti
    scagneti Posts: 707 Member
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    Isn't this the same substance that they used to cook movie theater popcorn with? The stuff that's so bad that every news outlet was attacking it and made all the movie theaters chains switch to a different oil?

    Actually it should be the opposite of that since the lower heat point oils are the ones that quickly turn to Trans Fats whereas Coconut Oil has a higher heat point and therefore doesn't turn into a Trans Fat as easily as most oils/fats.
  • jj3120
    jj3120 Posts: 358
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    Bump

    I haven't bought any yet, keep looking and reading lots of positives. It's very expensive in the uk, I've only looked in one shop though so need to check online as well.

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